Quotes of the Day

Hunting the Bali Bombers
It is disappointing that four of the alleged plotters of the 2002 bombings in Bali are still at large [July 7]. It's even more disappointing that they have been linked to further terrorist attacks. However, the intensive search for these men seems to have drastically limited their movements and forced them to abandon cell phones, radios and air travel and fall back on very basic and slow means of transport and communication. I hope the Indonesian, Philippine and Australian police will keep up the pressure and not get distracted or lose heart.
Robert T. Brown,
Sydney

As sprawling archipelagoes with dozens of tiny islands, Indonesia and the Philippines sound like ideal hideouts for fugitives. They could stay out of sight for years. Look at how long it has been since anyone saw Osama bin Laden.
Wendy Ling,
Cairns

Defining Patriotism
Richard Stengel's "The New Patriotism" was helpful in understanding the theme of this presidential election [July 7]. Dissent isn't unpatriotic. We need a definition of patriotism that recognizes our nation's proud heritage but understands how much better we can be.
Steven A. Ludsin,
East Hampton, New York

It is not healthy to say, "I love my country, right or wrong." This leads to the delusion that our way of life is the right way for all the world. I love my country too — and I am not ashamed to acknowledge all its mistakes as well as all its accomplishments.
Mark Fagerburg,
Richmond, Virginia

Patriotism means believing in the best we were, are and can be while learning from the missteps along the way.
Richard Sem,
Trevor, Wisconsin

I found Peter Beinart's article on patriotism informative and accurate but also ironic. He says liberals don't like symbolic patriotism, yet much of the support for the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, is symbolic. Liberals are concerned more with what the mere election of a black President would represent than with what this individual would or could accomplish as President. Rather than finding this inspiring, I feel it smacks of narcissism and naiveté. For America's sake, I hope the voters — and the press — will evaluate the candidates on their qualifications.
Carrie Wolfe,
Sterling, Virginia

Zimbabwe's Torment
Readers may wonder how it is that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has dragged his country into economic collapse and abject poverty, yet millions of Zimbabweans still support him [June 30]. This is because in Africa, tribal feeling remains powerful. The chief of your tribe can do no wrong, and African culture demands that he be supported at all costs. Western nations are justifiably horrified by what is happening in Zimbabwe, but they should bear in mind that the Mugabe regime came to power with their support. Watch South Africa: Its economy and social framework are rapidly following the same downward path as Zimbabwe's.
Ben Stander,
Cape Town, South Africa

Oil Speculation
In his essay "Oil Follies," Michael Kinsley notes that if President George W. Bush "had used the political gift certificate he was granted on Sept. 11, 2002," he could have "imposed a $1.50-per-gal. (39¢-per-L) 'War on Terror' tax ... People would have screamed with pain, then started adjusting. Demand would have gone down, and today gas would probably be cheaper" [July 7]. How very clever. But Kinsley had a TIME pulpit in 2001. Why didn't he propose this great idea then? How easy it is to be clever in retrospect — though Kinsley seems less than confident in his own advice, saying gas would "probably" be cheaper. He ends by calling Americans idiots for not paying more for gas in the past. Could Kinsley himself be the idiot?
Colin Segal,
Sydney

I found it ironic and a little irritating that Kinsley's essay had quite a bit of hindsight. In the same issue, there is a quote from John F. Kennedy, "Those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future." So I urge Kinsley, an obviously intelligent man, to tell us what it is we don't know — but should — about where we're headed.
Steve Walsh,
Atlanta

You need to add one thing to your equation. Oil is traded in U.S. dollars. So a weak dollar allows other countries to buy more oil, which in turn drives the price up. Strengthen the dollar, and make a barrel less attractive.
Charles Shields,
Knoxville, Tennessee

Light on Fragile X
Claudia Wallis' article "The Fragile X Factor" provides a compelling view of a simple single-gene disorder that has turned out to be far more complicated than anyone imagined [July 7]. Biologically, the gene has ripple effects throughout the brain. For families, it has ripple effects across generations. Many doctors, teachers and therapists know too little about it to provide appropriate care. Thank you for helping raise public awareness.
Don Bailey, President of the Board of Directors, National Fragile X Foundation,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Thank you for printing such an informative and optimistic article about fragile X syndrome. My 10-year-old son has fragile X with autism and ADHD. I look forward to the day when we can shout from the mountaintops that we have a treatment that works miracles.
Jennifer Nardo,
Hockessin, Delaware

Alcohol Exposure
John Cloud has it right about drinking with family [June 30]. My brother and I were given wine at dinner by my parents at a young age. My sons were raised that way as well. I drank too much once. My sons drink responsibly and never drink and drive. They are now raising their own families, and I expect that when their very young children are a bit older, they will do the same with them. Children learn an enormous amount from their parents; they should have the chance to learn responsible drinking from them as well.
Edward Goldberg,
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Parsing the Pregnancy Pact
Nancy Gibbs' circumscribed view of responsibility cannot be labeled surprising in a society that still castigates women and girls for their sexual behavior [July 7]. Nonetheless, she too eagerly embraces the archaic idea that the only proper way to "take responsibility for the consequences" of heterosexual sex is to carry an unplanned pregnancy to term. In the life of a pregnant high school girl, "taking responsibility" may mean walking through the school hallways heavy into her ninth month, case-managing her abortion or giving up a child for adoption without ever seeing it. We can have compassion for all the young women who have found themselves in these situations without passing judgment on their lives and their futures.
Erin Kate Ryan, Board of Directors, Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund,
Boston

There are three ways that women and teenagers can take responsibility for a pregnancy: abortion, adoption or parenting. One option is not more responsible than the others. Each is a valid choice, as long as the chosen path is the best for the individual pregnant woman. And that is her decision to make.
Kelli Conlin, President, National Institute for Reproductive Health,
New York City

Games Around the World
In his story on rugby in South Africa, Alex Perry should have noted that there are two codes of rugby: rugby union and rugby league [June 30]. Rugby union was the sport closely associated with the white-dominated apartheid regime. Indeed, rugby league was banned during that period because it was seen as a subversive influence in sport. It is unfair to tar rugby league with the same brush as rugby union.
Michael O'Hare,
Northwood, England

I read with fascination your article on museum curator Irving Finkel and his researches into the Royal Game of Ur. But I take issue with his claim that Monopoly introduced the last "momentous" innovation in board games. In fact, the last 15 years have seen great innovations in board-game design. One game, Settlers of Catan, has almost single-handedly sparked a renaissance in board gaming in Europe. And retoolings of classic American games like Risk have introduced ideas that leave many older games in the dust. Granted, board games are a niche hobby. However, the 250,000-plus people who visit the Essen Games Fair in Germany each year would be the first to tell you that board-game designs have come a long way, baby!
Jan Velinger,
Prague

Texting While Driving
Re "Omg. Almost Causd Fendr Bendr, Lol!": The people driving in front of Taylor Leming have thus far been spared [July 7]. Why not forget phoning or texting and just arrive at the destination "in 5" as planned? When she does rear-end someone (or worse), she'll have lots of time to text as she waits for the accident report.
Donna Houskamp,
Wyoming, Michigan

Walling Off the Border
Re your Mexico-U.S. border fence story: There's another aspect worth examining [July 7]. The illegals come to the U.S. seeking employment. Levying a hefty fine on employers who hire them would do a lot toward deterring illegals' entry. No jobs, not so many illegals. And some of those who are here would want to go home.
W.B. McLain,
Yakima, Washington

"Does America really need to wall itself off?" Think 12 million to 20 million illegal invaders, tons of illegal drugs and more than a thousand associated deaths, just for starters. On the other hand, think of the joy of getting our grass cut on the cheap.
Edward Dougherty,
Franklin Lake, New Jersey